Zhoghovurd: Khachik Asrian meant it as a joke

Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Khachik Asrian declared recently that MP Zaruhi Postanjian should be burned alive in a bonfire.

‘Zhoghovurd’ paper asked yesterday spokesman for Armenia’s Special Investigation Service (SIS) Mikael Aharonian if SIS intends to start proceedings as the deputy minister’s statements in fact contained a call for violence. Aharonian answered in the negative. “It is necessary to assess objective reality to decide whether it was a threat or not. It is obvious that the deputy minister’s threat to burn the MP in a bonfire cannot be considered as real. Besides, Khachik Asrian declared on October 11 that his words had a figurative sense,” Aharonian said.

Yesterday Asrian issued a statement saying that his statements about burning Ms. Postanjian in a bonfire were allegedly related to her deeds, rather than her body. Prior to that Z. Postanjian sent a letter to Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparian, asking him to ensure security of her family and her own security.